Mitt restaurant in Mount Clemens to close

The Mitt Restaurant in downtown Mount Clemens is going out of business. It will close at the end of the night on Saturday, but is offering discounts on food and beverages all day. RAY SKOWRONEK -- THE MACOMB DAILY

The Michigan-themed Mitt restaurant in downtown Mount Clemens will close at the end of business on Saturday night, according to the owner.

Ken Leonard on Friday said he was unable to generate enough clientele to keep the place open on North Main Street on the north end of the city’s downtown.

“To be honest, with so many other restaurants closing in Mount Clemens, I don’t think this is a shocker,” Leonard said.

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The Mitt is the latest in a series of closures in the county seat in recent months including Che Cosa Cafe, John Barleycorn’s, and others.

Located in the building that formerly housed the Full Kilt saloon and Damon’s Ribs, the Mitt opened in 2012 with a restaurant that celebrated the Great Lakes State in a variety of ways including using mostly ingredients found in Michigan, a wall-length mural of the Mackinac Bridge and a waiting area designed to resemble a cabin in northern Michigan.

Although diners generally enjoyed the food -- comfort food , pizza and a number of ethnic dishes -- there were complaints about waiting times and inconsistent hours. In recent months, Leonard reduced hours and closed on Mondays to try to slow down his losses.

Even before the place opened, The Mitt gained some fame when Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney made a campaign stop in 2012. The building also was portrayed as a pizza joint in the movie “Red Dawn.”

But the 300-seat venue was too large of a space to operate in the post-Great Recession years, Leonard said. He plans to keep the brand name and menu and regroup with an investor at a new location in the future.

“I will not roll the dice again in Mount Clemens,” he said. “It’s a shame because I love this city and there are some great people here. Unfortunately, it was not enough, that’s the bottom line.”

Michelle Weiss of the Mount Clemens Downtown Development Authority said she was saddened by the news.

“I wish things could have worked out better for them,” she said. “I know they had a lot of issues going on, and it’s a tough business to stay in.”

The Mitt, located at 143 North Main Street, will offer a 25 percent discount on food and drink purchases until closing on Saturday.